The Disciple by Stephen Coonts
In his 27th work of fiction, The Disciple, formal naval aviator and New York Times bestselling author, Stephen Coonts, examines the threat of a nuclear-capable Iran in a manner that has fact and fiction flying in frighteningly tight formation.
"(We've) heard the term 'Martyr Nation' used by the leadership of Iran before, but we have no real concept of what they're talking about," explained Coonts. "I was at a lecture by an American Muslim, who is not one of Ahmadinejad's fans, he really did a rip on what a martyr nation can be, even if they're destroyed. And I thought, 'that's my story right there.'"
The Disciple unfolds with Iran being much closer to having operational nuclear weapons than the CIA believes. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has a plan to make Iran a martyr nation and lead the world's Muslims in a holy war against the non-believers. But the Americans have a secret weapon in a group of Iranian dissidents, including a brother and sister determined to avenge the death of their beloved grandfather. They want to stop the attack before their leader launches a new world war. But will the U.S. government believe the information they are providing, and can the Americans prevent the Israelis from taking matters into their own hands?
Coonts characterized the research for his latest release as horrifying at times. "When you have a group of people in the world who want to destroy civilization as we know it, that's scary." However, he felt it was worth it to tell an engaging tale that also sent a larger message. "This is dangerous. This could happen. That's what every thriller writer hopes the message of his or her book is. Hopefully, this will be an entertaining read that when people lay it down they think, What would the world be like if a scenario like this does come true?"
The Disciple is the sixth pairing of Coonts's franchise protagonist of 23 years, Jake Grafton, with another recurring character, and seeming Grafton protégé, Tommy Carmellini. "I like to think they're both the main characters. Tommy is the action hero, and Jake is the brains of the operation, much like Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin."
In what is sure to be Coonts's 16th NYT bestseller, Grafton and Carmellini's sharing of the spotlight provides an additional layer of depth for the reader and an extra character development challenge for the author. Coonts noted that reflecting a character's core values and beliefs novel-to-novel, while also creating opportunities for growth in each book, can be a tightrope walk for any writer. It can also be like visiting an old friend.
"It's extremely difficult. If your characters don't change, your readers lose interest. On the other hand, if they change in such a way that they are no longer the person they were at the start, then the reader will drop you," said Coonts. "Jake Grafton has always been easy for me to write...he will always do the right thing which makes him a hero for our time."
Coonts hinted that his fans will soon see a new side to the Grafton/Carmellini relationship, "The next story, I want it to be Tommy's story. Tommy needs to solve the main conflict and resolve it. I don't know how I am going to do that yet--I'm just getting started--but I do know that's where I want it to go."
The December release of The Disciple is not the only exciting literary news in the Coonts household. Stephen's wife, Deborah, recently signed a two-book deal with Tor/Forge. Her first book is a romantic mystery, Wanna Get Lucky?, set in Las Vegas. "It's fun being married to a writer," said Coonts. "She'll read, edit and make suggestions on my chapters. But I can't make any suggestions on hers, she does it so well."
Stephen Coonts is the author of fifteen New York Times bestselling books that have been translated and published around the world. A former naval aviator and Vietnam combat veteran, he is a graduate of West Virginia University and the University of Colorado School of Law. He and Deborah reside in Colorado. Visit his website at www.Coonts.com.
photo credit: Deborah Coonts
Dan Levy works from his Lincoln, Nebraska home as a freelance writer for the aviation and financial industries. His first novel, THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT, is an aviation-thriller winging its way in search of representation and publication. Bestselling author Jon Land noted, "Dan Levy's THE BLOWDOWN LIMIT reminded me of Michael Crichton's AIRFRAME and Thomas Block's MAYDAY in all the right ways. Levy pilots his tale in a smooth and seasoned fashion that will make this the next book to make people think twice before flying the friendly skies."
ThrillerFest
ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.
For 2011, we’ll be back in the heart of New York in July with the ThrillerFest conference including CraftFest and AgentFest.
ThrillerFest VI will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.
The dates will be July 6-9, 2011.
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